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July 2022 (St. Louis, MO) – Operation Food Search is working with Feed the Babies Project, a community-wide collaborative led by the St. Louis Integrated Health Network designed to address the infant formula shortage crisis and provide immediate solutions for families in St. Louis.
Operation Food Search is storing pasteurized breast milk that is donated to the Milk Bank in their on-site refrigeration units, then transporting the milk in a refrigerated van to be delivered to the community at a scheduled St. Louis MetroMarket stop where families who have been pre-registered pick up the milk. Free formula, rice cereal, and baby food will be available as well. Finally, families are welcome to shop at the St. Louis MetroMarket, a farmers market on wheels, which is a signature program of Operation Food Search. Vouchers will be provided for forty families to supplement the fresh produce items, which are offered at cost, or below.
“The crisis that parents have faced over the past few months has been heartbreaking,”
said Kristen Wild, president and CEO of Operation Food Search. “We are proud to work with Feed the Babies to provide breast milk, formula, and food to families who are struggling during this challenging time.”
Availability of powdered formula products in US stores dropped to the lowest levels so far in early July, with about 30% of products out of stock. (Source) It could be 10 weeks before store shelves can be fully restocked to meet the demand.
“As part of the Feed the Babies Project, we are delighted to partner with Operation Food Search and many others to address the infant formula shortage and meet the nutritional needs of our under-resourced and underserved communities in the St. Louis region. Equitable access to affordable, healthy, and nutritional foods, including pasteurized human donor milk, is essential to living and being well,” said Andwele Jolly, President and CEO, St. Louis Integrated Health Network.
The City of St. Louis has been particularly affected by the shortages in stores as well as the substantial safety recalls by Abbott Nutrition. Low-income families have faced additional challenges: Without cash on hand, they were unable to stockpile formula in the early days of the shortage. In many cases, this has forced them to pay higher prices through secondary sellers or for shipping through online retailers.
“The formula shortage comes at a time when many families are already struggling to address soaring food prices,” said Wild.
Founded in 1981, Operation Food Search (OFS) is a hunger relief organization located at 1644 Lotsie Blvd. that provides free food, nutrition education and innovative programs proven to reduce food insecurity. With a strategic focus aimed at ending childhood hunger, OFS empowers families and increases access to healthy and affordable food. The agency provides food and services to 200,000 individuals on a monthly basis – one-third of whom are children – through a network of 330 community partners in 27 Missouri and Illinois counties.
Jocelyn Fundoukos | Jocelyn.Fundoukos@OperationFoodSearch.org | (314) 726-5355
Amanda Galloway | amanda@amandacookpr.com | (314) 598-0544
Jesse A. Davis MD, MBA – St. Louis Integrated Health Network, Consultant | jessedavis@wustl.edu | (314) 267-8536
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